Floor systems comprise the horizontal supporting surfaces of a building structure. Such floor systems not only support the contents of a building but also carry their own weight and any extra load from floors and walls above. To avoid collapse, a floor system must transfer loads laterally to beams, columns, or bearing walls with an adequate margin of safety.
In some buildings, a floor system is assembled from wooden joists overlaid with plywood sheathing. The dimensions of the lumber utilized may be varied somewhat and the floor system will still meet accepted standards for safety. Of course, holes or cavities within the floor system must be considered in determining the proper lumber dimensions.
For a variety of reasons, it is best to run utility conduits parallel to floor joists. Under certain conditions, however, conduits must run perpendicular to, and penetrate, joists. Local building codes strictly limit the size and location of any cutouts that are placed in joists for the passage of conduits. These codes have resulted largely in builders being required to “oversize” joists thereby adding cost and waste to many building projects.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,977, we disclosed an uncomplicated bracket acting as a “patch kit” to return a wooden joist having a transverse hole to its original strength. Since the issuance of that patent, a need has arisen for a bracket capable of reinforcing a joist with a notch cut into its top. A notch, it has been found, is sometimes required to accommodate the passage of a conduit servicing a plumbing fixture or like item is located directly above a joist. Without reinforcement, the notch may compromise the structural integrity of the joist.